Chapter No.17 Naruto

Chapter No.17 The Bell Test Part 2

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Kakashi gazed upon Naruto’s unconscious body, his eye shifting to his small orange book. He wasn’t really reading it—not right now. His mind was replaying every single moment of the battle, analyzing the boy’s movements, his decisions. Each action Naruto had taken revealed something, and now, piece by piece, Kakashi was putting it all together.

Every little bit of information told Kakashi far more than it would to an average shinobi. With years as an Anbu captain and more S-rank missions under his belt than most could dream of, he was used to piecing together puzzles from subtle signs. And what he saw in Naruto’s performance was telling.

First, Naruto wasn’t living a secret life. There was no hidden training, no shadowy mentor molding him in the background. His movements were too raw, his techniques too basic, yet focused with an almost singular intensity. This wasn’t the result of years of discipline or deep, methodical practice. Naruto was working with a narrow skill set, as if he’d only been introduced to some fundamental concepts and had latched onto them.

Second, this change in Naruto was recent. His aggression, the rawness of his fighting style—it was like someone had unlocked a door inside him, and Naruto was only just stepping through it. He wasn’t honing skills built over time; he was adapting in real-time, experimenting with what little he had.

And third, Naruto’s weak spots—his susceptibility to genjutsu, his unrefined basics—showed that this transformation was incomplete. If this were a natural evolution of Naruto’s abilities, Kakashi would’ve seen more polish, more balance. But instead, he saw a young shinobi pushing the limits of what he could do with newfound abilities. This wasn’t gradual growth; this was sudden and unpredictable.

So, what did all of this tell Kakashi?

Naruto had encountered something recently—something that had given him access to power and knowledge, but without guidance.

And yet, Naruto’s physical strength, his command over that chaotic fire style, and that strange ninja art involving a bizarre prayer—those weren’t things you could just pick up overnight. They needed time, dedication, and discipline. And yet… Naruto had them.

So when did this change occur? Kakashi’s mind turned over the details, examining the timeline of Naruto’s recent behavior.

What did this all have to do with this “Oscar”? That name had come up recently, seemingly out of nowhere, tied to Naruto’s strange new abilities. Who or what was Oscar? A foreign name in a shinobi world.

This was a mystery. And as Kakashi’s instincts kicked in, he knew that mysteries like this, left unsolved, had a way of becoming threats.

A threat to Konoha needs to be put down.

Before he could dive further into those thoughts, the sharp whistling of shuriken cut through the air. In an instant, his fingers shot up, intercepting the shuriken mid-flight.

The shuriken spun on Kakashi’s fingers, the hot metal biting into his skin as he watched Sasuke land near the edge of the lake. His Sharingan was spinning, and Kakashi recognized it immediately—the Eye of Insight. Sasuke’s eyes weren’t just looking at him; they were dissecting everything, taking in every little detail. His last hand signs confirmed it.

So, he’s going to try it.

“Water Style: Call of the Siren!” Sasuke’s voice rang out as the water near the shore began to ripple and bulge. The liquid started to take form, twisting into the shape of a siren, but it was… pathetic. The figure was sloppy, unsteady, barely holding together.

Hmph.

Before the genjutsu could even fully launch, Kakashi threw a single shuriken with pinpoint precision. The sharp edge sliced through the water construct, popping it like a soap bubble. The look of shock on Sasuke’s face was priceless. His siren dissolved back into the lake without making so much as a ripple.

Kakashi couldn’t help but snort, amusement bubbling up in him. Guess he didn’t know.

The Sharingan’s Eye of Insight—it was often misunderstood. Everyone thought the ability to copy jutsu was as simple as activating the Sharingan and watching a technique. But that wasn’t how it worked.

There was a reason why Kakashi was called the Copy Ninja, never an Uchiha. That was because the Sharingan gave insight into the jutsu’s structure, its chakra flow, the hand signs, the elemental manipulation behind it, but copying it required more than just looking.

It takes talent—raw talent—and high-grade mastery of chakra and elemental manipulation. Not just any Uchiha could watch a jutsu and pull it off. And yet for Sasuke, despite his Sharingan, he showed enough pure raw talent to copy Kakashi’s jutsu even without any training in elemental and chakra manipulation.

The boy is a genius but he needs humility.

Kakashi reminded himself of the conversation he’d had with the Third Hokage. Sasuke’s psychological evaluation had been glaringly obvious. The boy took extreme pride in his lineage, in his clan. And it made sense—he had lost everything. His entire world was ripped apart, and now he was left with this burning obsession to avenge his clan, to kill the one responsible for their massacre. That fixation had consumed him, made him believe that his worth was tied to his ability to restore his clan’s honor.

But pride without balance is dangerous. Sasuke needed to learn humility. He needed to understand that his value didn’t lie solely in his lineage or in avenging his clan. He had to find his own worth, his own strength, beyond the shadow of the Uchiha name. And if he couldn’t learn that, he would destroy himself chasing a goal that might not even give him the closure he sought.

Kakashi couldn’t help but giggle, glancing at his book. “That wasn’t so cool, Sasuke-kun.”

Before he could settle back into his reading, a bunch of shurikens came flying toward him. Oh, trying to distract me now, huh? With a simple step back, he dodged them easily. But then, from the corner of his eye, he saw a second wave—this time, kunai, launching from the side.

Oh, a trap. So, that’s what Sasuke was planning while I was busy with Naruto.

Kakashi leapt to the ground just as Sasuke rushed in, his body spinning with a roundhouse kick. The kid had good form, Kakashi would give him that—his leg cut through the air with impressive speed. But it was still predictable. Kakashi ducked low, squatting just in time to avoid the strike as Sasuke’s momentum carried him a few feet away.

Kakashi straightened up, taking a deep breath, and watched as Sasuke settled into his stance. Interesting… It was the same stance he’d seen Naruto use when he created that fire jutsu earlier. Sasuke’s face tightened in concentration, but after a moment, nothing happened. He frowned, clearly confused. Kakashi couldn’t blame him.

Of course it didn’t work.

There’s a reason most fire jutsu are created using breath. Just like real fire needs fuel, air, heat, and the chemical reaction to ignite, fire jutsu operates the same way. Chakra is the fuel, elemental nature provides the heat, air from the lungs acts as the medium, and the chakra flow creates the reaction. Naruto’s fire jutsu didn’t involve the air element, so copying it was impossible without understanding that.

“Naruto-kun… is something special, isn’t he?” Kakashi muttered quietly.

Sasuke’s frown deepened, his eyes hardening. “I’m not the same as them,” he said, his voice low and tense.

Kakashi shrugged, keeping his gaze steady. “Say that after you do something.”

Sasuke’s expression tightened with determination, and without missing a beat, he flew through a sequence of hand signs, ending with the tiger seal. He took a deep breath, his chest expanding. Kakashi’s eyes widened slightly. That wasn’t in the report.

Before Sasuke could release the Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu, Kakashi reacted instantly. His finger darted forward, inserting into Sasuke’s mouth just as he was about to release the jutsu. Water chakra flowed through Kakashi’s finger, immediately canceling the fire chakra inside Sasuke’s mouth. The jutsu fizzled out before it even started, and Sasuke jerked back, spitting furiously to the side.

“Why is your finger so spicy?!” Sasuke yelled, his voice filled with frustration.

Kakashi tilted his head and held up his book with a smile. “Well, I do read spicy content.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, sharp as ever. “Genjutsu?!” he muttered, already piecing things together. Smart kid. Kakashi had to hand it to him, Sasuke was sharp. He deserved to be the top student.

Sasuke glared at Kakashi, clearly irritated. “What’s wrong with you?”

Kakashi shrugged again, the same easy smile on his face. Honestly, it had just hit him. He finally understood why the older shinobi took in students. This is fun.

Honestly, the subtle genjutsu Kakashi had cast on Sasuke served two purposes. First, to remind the boy that the Sharingan didn’t make him invincible, no matter how much he might think it did. And second… well, Kakashi would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy messing with Sasuke a little.

Sasuke’s eyes flashed with determination as he went through a rapid series of hand signs for the Shunshin. In an instant, he shot forward like a cannonball, his knee aimed right at Kakashi’s head. The force behind the attack was intense—Sasuke had launched himself with every ounce of speed he could muster, his knee tucked in tightly as it came barreling toward Kakashi’s face.

Impressive, but still predictable.

Without missing a beat, Kakashi dodged, using a substitutionless jutsu. There was no need to swap places with anything—just pure movement, as if he’d blinked out of existence. Sasuke’s momentum carried him right past, his body still hurtling forward too fast to stop.

Kakashi quickly prepared his Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu, forming the hand signs in a smooth, practiced motion. But just as he was about to release it, a few kunai flew towards his arms. He canceled the jutsu, catching the kunai in one sweeping motion.

Sakura landed between him and Sasuke, who was now standing in the lake.

“Do you think you can stop me?” Kakashi asked, taking a casual step forward. This was exactly what he had expected. Sakura had been passive for most of the fight, observing from the sidelines. But he knew that if Sasuke were put in real danger, she’d act. That’s why he’d gone for the fireball—nothing like a little threat to get her moving.

Despite the obvious fatigue from hunger, Sakura performed the basic Academy-style Clone Jutsu, creating two clones beside her. She rushed forward with determination, the three of them charging at Kakashi together. Good effort, but still…

Kakashi flicked the kunai at the clones absently, barely paying attention. The three Sakura clones disappeared in a puff of smoke as the kunai passed right through them. Too obvious, Sakura.

But then, he felt the shift. The real Sakura had substituted herself above him, a kunai raised as she came down to strike. Kakashi glanced up, mildly impressed. She was learning. But compared to Sasuke and Naruto, her performance was still lacking.

Before her kunai could connect, Sasuke reappeared, combining his Shunshin with a flying kick, his leg aimed directly at Kakashi’s chest. The boy was relentless.

Kakashi blocked the kick with one hand, feeling the power behind it as he absorbed the impact. Then, using Sasuke’s own momentum, Kakashi spun with him, throwing him away with a quick twist of his wrist. Sakura came down, aiming for a stab with her kunai. Kakashi sidestepped her attack, letting her land in front of him before she immediately threw more kunai in his direction.

Good follow-up.

With a casual flick of his wrist, Kakashi deflected the kunai with a swipe of his book’s cover. He glanced at the duo—both of them were looking increasingly frustrated.

“Below you,” Kakashi said calmly, watching their eyes widen in realization.

Before they could react, Kakashi’s clones were already in motion. Arms burst from the ground, grabbing both Sasuke and Sakura by the legs. With a firm tug, he dragged them both into the earth using the Earth Style: Head Hunter Jutsu. The ground swallowed them up until only their heads remained visible above the dirt.

“That was fun,” Kakashi said, a hint of amusement in his voice as he stood over them. He watched their expressions—Sasuke’s intense glare, Sakura’s disbelief—as the white haired man began to walk away.

Sakura felt the dirt pressing in all around her, cool and damp, making her skin itch. Her head was the only thing sticking up, and it was driving her insane. Why did I get caught up in this?! She clenched her teeth, trying to stay calm, trying to look composed even though she felt like screaming.

“Kakashi is really strong,” she muttered, forcing herself to sound calm, collected. Of course he is. He’s our sensei, a Jonin, and we just—ugh!

Sasuke, still huffing from the effort, nodded beside her. His expression was tight, as usual, but she could tell he was just as frustrated as she was. Of course, he’s not showing it. She glanced at him and then thought about Naruto—Naruto, of all people. He had actually forced Kakashi to his knees. How?! How did that knucklehead do something that even Sasuke-kun didn’t?

The thought gnawed at Sakura, refusing to let her feel settled, but she forced it away, refocusing on the task at hand—getting out of this stupid hole. Sasuke clawed his way out first, pulling himself up with a quiet grunt, his expression unreadable. Sakura followed, less gracefully, though she tried to hold onto some dignity. Ugh, so dirty. She brushed off as much dirt as she could, maintaining her calm exterior, even though all she really wanted to do was groan in frustration.

“Well, looks like we failed, huh?” she said, trying to break the silence. Sasuke’s frown deepened, and the look on his face screamed What are you talking about?

“I’ve been keeping track. We’ve got maybe a minute before the test ends.”

His words hit her like a ton of bricks. Wait… we still have time? Sasuke’s eyes widened, and in an instant, the Sharingan flared to life. He scanned the area, desperately searching for Kakashi.

“Sasuke-kun, you’re still going after the bell?” she asked, surprised.

He ignored her, his focus entirely on finding their sensei. Inside, her other voice yelled, It’s useless, Sasuke-kun! You won’t fail next time! There’s always next time, right?

Sakura sighed, brushing off more dirt and straightening her hair, trying to look presentable. “Sasuke-kun, how do I look?” She tried to put on a cute expression, hoping to ease the tension between them, but then she saw it—the look on his face.

Her stomach dropped.

There was something in Sasuke’s eyes that terrified her. It wasn’t just frustration; it was deeper than that, like he was on the verge of snapping, like this test wasn’t just a test to him. It was like he was fighting against something much bigger.

“Shut up,” he muttered, his voice cold and distant. “I just have to find that man.”

The way he said it… it wasn’t about Kakashi anymore. Sakura’s heart raced as she realized something was off. What’s going on in your head, Sasuke-kun? Her inner voice screamed louder, How dare you yell at me like that?!

And then, the alarm went off.

Sasuke froze, his body stiff, and for a moment, Sakura thought he might explode from the tension. But instead, his lips curled into a bitter smirk, and he let out a quick, humorless laugh. “Pfft…”

Sakura flinched. Sasuke-kun…

He stood there, staring blankly into the distance, like the test had meant nothing in the end. Sakura wanted to say something to him, to cheer him up. Come on, there’s always a next time. You didn’t fail! We’ll get another chance. But the look on his face—the intensity, the frustration—it scared her.

Sasuke’s voice cut through the air like ice. “Maybe for weaklings like you.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets and began to walk away, leaving Sakura standing there, frozen in place. She could’ve brushed off his words, chalked them up to the heat of the moment. Just something he said in frustration. But she couldn’t. Not this time. Maybe it was because of her overall performance in the test. Maybe it was because, despite literally saving Sasuke’s life, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she hadn’t done enough. Not compared to Sasuke. Not compared to Naruto.

“I’m disappointed.”

The words came out of nowhere, and Sakura straightened immediately, her entire body tensing. Kakashi-sensei was behind her, his presence looming over her like a dark cloud.

“W-What do you mean?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. She forced a nervous smile, but it faltered under the weight of his gaze. His visible eye curved into a smile, but it didn’t comfort her. Instead, it made her feel like she was in trouble—serious trouble.

“Why don’t you take some time to reflect…” he said calmly.

Sakura nodded, not sure what else to do, though her heart pounded in her chest.

“After being tied to the log,” Kakashi finished.

What? The words hit her like a punch to the gut. Her mind raced with protests. I don’t deserve this. I saved Sasuke’s life, I—

Even her inner voice paused, the usual fire quieting. Something about Kakashi’s tone made her stop. For the first time, she felt like she actually needed to reflect on what had happened. Maybe there was more to this test than she thought.

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Naruto blinked, his head throbbing as he slowly came to. The world felt hazy at first, but as his vision cleared, he saw Kakashi standing over him with that annoying casualness of his.

“Guess the blonde princess is up,” Kakashi said, that eye smile on full display.

Naruto groaned, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up. Princess? Fuck you. “What happened, cyclops instructor?” he muttered, still feeling groggy.

“Well, you three failed the test.”

His words hit Naruto like a bucket of cold water. Failed? He blinked, trying to shake off the dizziness. His gaze drifted to the side, and that’s when he saw Sakura—tied up to the training dummy like some sort of prisoner. Sasuke, on the other hand, was sitting nearby, glaring down at his bento box like it had personally offended him.

Naruto’s fingers brushed against the edge of his ramen cup. Failed, huh? The thought stung, but before he could really process it, Kakashi’s voice cut through the air again.

“I don’t think you three need to go back to the academy,” Kakashi said.

Sakura perked up, clearly relieved. Naruto stretched his arms above his head, feeling his body loosen up from whatever had knocked him out. Back to the academy? Yeah, no thanks. I’m not going through that again.

But then, Kakashi’s next words froze Naruto in place.

“All three of you should quit being shinobi.”

Naruto’s heart skipped a beat. What?! He could feel the shock ripple through him, his mind scrambling to make sense of what Kakashi had just said. Quit? After everything I’ve done? After everything I’ve been through?

Suddenly, Sasuke shot forward, using Shunshin to rush at Kakashi. Where the hell did he get that? Naruto’s eyes widened, but before he could even react, Kakashi’s hand moved so fast it was like a blur. His senses couldn’t even keep up with it—not even his Way of Focality. Naruto blinked, and just like that, Sasuke was face down on the ground, Kakashi standing over him like it was nothing.

“Really underestimating what it means to be a ninja, huh?” Kakashi’s voice was calm, almost like he was scolding them for being late to class. He glanced between the three of them, his tone turning serious. “Why do you think you were divided into teams and are doing this test?”

Sakura tilted her head, her confusion showing. “Huh? What does that mean?”

Naruto narrowed his eyes. This wasn’t just a survival test. The bells, the division into teams—it wasn’t adding up. His mind raced, piecing together everything Kakashi had said and done. The survival test was supposed to be about, well, surviving. But there were only two bells.

Two bells… but three of us. So what’s the point? And then it hit Naruto, like a kunai to the chest.

“It’s teamwork,” Naruto said, his voice cutting through the silence.

Everyone turned to look at him, and for once, he didn’t feel like the deadlast.

“Correct,” Kakashi said with a nod, his expression softening just a bit.

Sakura looked at Naruto, still confused. “How? There are only two bells.”

“It’s to make us fight for our own interests,” Naruto explained, glancing at her. “They set it up so that we’d compete against each other instead of working together.”

“Exactly,” Kakashi said, crossing his arms. “That’s what it means to be on a team—to leave behind your own interests and fight as a collective. But all of you were just looking out for yourselves. Even when Sasuke and Sakura worked together, it was nothing more than a coincidence.”

His words cut deep. So that’s it, huh? Naruto thought back to how he’d been acting, rushing into everything, trying to prove himself, trying to stand out. But in doing so, he hadn’t really thought about Sasuke or Sakura. He’d just been focused on getting that damn bell.

Kakashi let go of Sasuke, who brushed the dirt off himself, still glaring. The tension hung thick in the air.

“Now,” Kakashi continued, “I’ll give you three an ultimatum: Two of you pass, one of you goes. Decide amongst yourselves.” He paused, his tone sharp. “And don’t share the food. If you do, all three of you are out of the ninja program.”

With that, Kakashi vanished, leaving the three of them standing there, the weight of his words sinking in. Naruto stared at the ramen cup in front of him, his stomach growling. But something else gnawed at him deeper than hunger.

A heavy silence settled over the three of them, the night air cold and still. Naruto could feel it biting at his skin, but he ignored it, his mind too full of everything that had just happened. Sasuke opened his bento box—a bunch of onigiris and roasted tomatoes.

Naruto didn’t even bother with his own. He wasn’t hungry. Not with all this on his mind.

He glanced up at the moon, feeling its light on his face.

Sakura’s stomach growled, breaking the silence for a second, but she didn’t complain. She just sat there, silent and… small. Naruto hated seeing her like this.

“Don’t want to eat?” he asked, his voice low, but he was ready to hand her some food if she wanted it. Kakashi’s warning didn’t scare him. Like I’m going to let some threat stop me from helping a friend.

“No, I’m fine,” Sakura replied, her voice quiet. “I wasn’t much help in the test. I think it’s better if I’m the one who quits.”

Her words hit Naruto hard. He could see it—she was heartbroken. That look in her eyes, the way her shoulders slumped. It was like she’d already accepted it, like she believed she was the weak link.

Sasuke paused, his chopsticks hovering in the air. Naruto could feel the tension building, something unspoken hanging between them.

“Nah, stay,” Naruto said, his voice firmer than he expected. “Clearly, you two can work as a team. I’ll leave.”

The words rolled off his tongue so easily. He wasn’t worried—not like they were. Konoha wasn’t the source of my power. It’s the other world. The bells of awakening are my real goal, anyway. If he got sent to the reserves or kicked out, it just meant more time for him to get stronger. One year in the other world, and I’d be ready to kick Kakashi’s ass without breaking a sweat. Yeah… quitting here isn’t the end of the world for me.

Sasuke just stared at his tomatoes, clearly frustrated. Naruto could see it in the tightness of his jaw, the way he kept avoiding eye contact. He was thinking, but his pride wouldn’t let him admit it.

“No need to force yourself to be selfless like me,” Naruto added, smirking a little. He knew the tone would get under Sasuke’s skin. Holier-than-thou? Yeah, that’ll light a fire under him.

Sure enough, Sasuke growled, his eyes narrowing at Naruto. Then his gaze flicked to Sakura, and her stomach growled again. Without saying a word, he held out an onigiri toward her.

“Eat,” he said, his voice gruff, but there was something else there. Concern? Maybe. Sasuke had a funny way of showing he cared.

Sakura blushed, her eyes wide. “But… what about Kakashi’s warning?” she asked, her voice filled with worry.

“You need food to think properly,” Sasuke muttered, looking away, clearly uncomfortable. “Don’t go deciding something this big on an empty stomach.”

Naruto couldn’t help but grin. Guess this is the emo’s way of telling us he’s the one who’s gonna quit. Sasuke wouldn’t say it outright, but his actions spoke louder than his words.

Naruto picked up Sakura’s bento box, opening it to reveal rice, some pickled vegetables, and dry seaweed. Simple, but it looked decent enough. “You know, there’s much better food out there. Like ramen, but I don’t have any hot water.” He grabbed a bit of rice, wrapped it in seaweed, and added a small pickle before holding it up to her with a grin.

Sakura’s eyes filled with emotion, and for a second, it looked like she might cry. “You guys…” she whispered.

But before she could say anything else, a puff of smoke appeared out of nowhere.

“You three…” Kakashi’s voice boomed, and Naruto instinctively reached for his talisman, ready to use the force miracle on him. But he paused when Kakashi said the next word.

“Pass.”

“Huh?”

The three of them said at the same time, confusion hanging in the air. Naruto just shoved the bite of rice and seaweed he had prepared for Sakura into his own mouth, chewing slowly as he tried to process what Kakashi had just said.

“Pass? We passed?” Sakura’s voice cut through the confusion, disbelief clear in every word.

“Of course,” Kakashi replied, as calm as ever. “Many before you had selfishly sacrificed each other just to be on the team, but they didn’t pass my test. Remember, a ninja must see beneath the underneath.”

Naruto paused mid-chew, the taste of rice and seaweed turning bland as he focused on Kakashi’s words. See beneath the underneath…

Kakashi continued, his tone a little more serious now. “Those who break the rules of the ninja world are considered scum. But you know what? Those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum.”

The weight of those words hit Naruto hard, and he could feel them sinking into his bones. He glanced at Sakura and Sasuke—both of them were silent, taking it in just like him.

Damn, that’s so cool, Naruto thought, feeling a sudden surge of admiration for the man.

“Congratulations, you three are now part of Team 7.”

He sliced through the rope that had been tying Sakura to the training dummy, and she landed on the ground with a soft thud. For a second, Naruto thought she might cry again, but instead, she smiled.

“Now, eat your dinner, and let’s go get our team picture taken,” Kakashi said as he wandered off, his nose buried in that little orange book of his.

Sakura didn’t waste any time. She snatched one of Sasuke’s onigiris right out of his hand, causing him to glare at her, his eyes narrowing. She blushed furiously, steam practically coming out of her ears. “I-I was hungry…” she stammered, her face as red as a tomato.

Sasuke just went back to eating, ignoring the girl’s flustered state.

Meanwhile, Naruto was distracted by another thought. I wonder if I could boil water with my pyromancy hand? The idea popped into his head, and he glanced at his ramen cup.

“Naruto,” Sakura’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to face her, surprised that she was addressing him so directly. Everyone was looking at her now, and there she was, a single grain of rice stuck near her lips, looking like she had something important to say.

“Thanks,” she said, her voice soft but sincere. “Thanks for offering to leave, even though you could’ve been an awesome ninja.”

Naruto blinked, taken aback.

Sakura outstretched her hand, and for a second, Naruto just stared at it, confused. “I know we had a lot of differences in the academy and everything else,” she continued, her voice a little unsure now.

Differences? Naruto thought back to those days. Yeah, he’d been a bit of a pain—okay, maybe more than a bit—but still, it was weird hearing her talk like this.

“I think it’s best if we put that behind us,” she said, her hand still hovering between them. “I want to start anew as teammates.”

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

“What brought this on?”

Sakura didn’t answer right away, but Naruto could see something in her eyes. This has been on her mind for a while, he realized. Still, whatever the reason, he wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip by. He grinned and took her hand, shaking it firmly. “Yeah, let’s start fresh.”

Then Naruto turned to Sasuke.

“Anything you want to add, teme?”

Sasuke paused, chewing thoughtfully before finally speaking. “You two are better as teammates than the rest of the class.”

Sakura and Naruto both sweatdropped at his words, exchanging a look. Is that supposed to be a compliment? Naruto thought, trying not to laugh.

Sasuke, of course, was completely unfazed as he went back to shamelessly eating his tomatoes. “Well, you two are alright in my book,” he added, as if that made up for everything.

Naruto couldn’t help but laugh this time.

A few minutes later, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke stood together for their team photo. The moon hung high in the sky, casting its pale light over them. In the middle stood Sakura, a civilian girl, still trying to find her place in the shinobi world. To her right was Sasuke, the avenger with a cold determination burning in his eyes, driven by the desire to avenge his clan. On the left, Naruto stood tall in his Knight’s armor, the weight of two worlds on his shoulders—one of ninjas and one of monsters.

Behind them, Kakashi stood, the white-haired cyclops who had lived a life filled with fame, power, and misery, his past shaping him into the shinobi who now led them.

Together, they became Team 7—a group as different as night and day, yet bound by the same path that lay ahead of them.